Improvement in machines for making horseshoes



2 Sh'eetsfSheet 1. A. J.`ROBERTS. 'HORSESHOE MACHINE.

2 sheetsksheet 2.

A-. J. ROBERTS.- HoRsBsHoE MACHINE.

Paftdnted Sept. 1, 1863.

"UNITED STATES .PATEIWI OFFICE.

ANDREW J."ROBERTS, OF BOSTON, ASSIGNOR TO BENJAMIN OF DORCHESTER,MASSACHUSETTS. Y

IMPROVEMENT INl MACHINES FORv MKINGMHORSESHOES.`

Speclicati'on forming part o`-`Letters Patent No. 39,778, datedSeptember 1. 1863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW. J. ROBERTS,

,of Boston, in the county ot Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines forManufacturing Horseshoes; andI do hereby declare thatthe followingdescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,herein-after referrcd'to, forms a full and exact specication of thesame, wherein I haveset ,forth thenature and principles of my saidimprovements by which my invention may be distinguished from all othersof a similar class,

together with such parts as I claim and desire Y have secured to me byLetters Patent. The present invention relates to certain new and usefulimprovements in machines for.

at the same timenarrow its `points as desired, whereby a perfect shapedshoe is readily profduced.

Secondly. In the use of a heavyweight or drop, moving between and guidedby vertical bars or standards of the machine, for the purpose ofactuating the formersorbenders, and thus pressing the metallic bararound the mold-block used, the said weight being connected with thesaid formers in such a man` 11er, by means ot' any suitable arrangementof l mechanical devices, as to cause them. to be moved in a directiontoward the mold-block by its simple downward movements orial'l. On thelower surface of this-weight alip or projection is placed in properposition, as the said weight falls, to strike against and bend thepointsot' the metallic bar or shoeto form the calksl Thirdly. In grooving theshoe by means of devices `so arranged and operated by the movements ofthe sliding formers as to force the punches used up against the undersurface of the shoe, and there firmly hold the. same in readiness to actupon the shoe when the weight drops and strikes against the 4top surfaceof theshoe.

' Fourthly. In allowing the Weight to drop, when it shall' havereachedthe height from which it is to fall, by means of a peculiar arrangementot mechanical devices operated by the upward Vmovement of `the weight insuch a manner as to disconnect at the proper moment the devices employedfor the raising of the same. o

Fifthly. In apeculiar arrangement of mechanical devices so operated bythe downward movement of the weight as to reconnectand again place inreadiness the devices employed for the raising of the weight.

I'have also made several other improvements in the construction andarrangement of horseshoe-machines that are quite essential to the moreperfect working of the same, and which will be hereinafter particularlyreferred to.

In the accompanying plates of drawings my improvements 'are represented,of which, in Plate 1, Figure 1 is a plan or top view; Fig.

2, a side view 5 Fig. 3, a central longitudinal vertical section Fig. 4,a transverse horizontal section; Fig. 5, a transverse vertical sectionthrough the center of the drop-weight, and Figs. 6 and 9 aredetailviews, to be hereinafter more particularly Jef @tred to. Plate 2,Fig. 7 is a centrall( ngiudinal vertical section with the weight in itslowest position, and Fig. 8 a transverse horizontal section through thecenter of the weight.

a a in the accompanying drawings represent the platform orfoundation-plate of lthe machine, in which, at or near its center, isinserted a stationary mold-block, b, with its periphery made of theshape ofthe inside edge of a shoe. In the upper surface ot'- theplatform atw ways or grooves, c c, are formed at an acute angle to eachother, with the apex toward the moldblock. and in each of which an armor plate, d, of two sliding horizontal formers or benders, e e, isinserted andmade to move for! ward and back on the plane f by means of apeculiar arrangement of mechanical devices, to be herein described. Theinside edge ot' each of these arms d is cut or curved out at gcorresponding tothe curved periphery ofthe Inf moldblock, and each onehas also attached to the same two pressure-rollers, h and e', one uponthe inside edge and the other set in its lower surface, the two being soarranged with regard to eachother that, as the said formers are movedforward, the one, h, will bear and travel upon the upper surface ofthemetallic bar of which the shoe is made, and thus prevent the saine frombein g forced up olfits plane or seat, While the other, t', pressesagainst its edge in such a manner as to gradually bend or form the bararound the mold-hloek, thereby giving to the bar the desired curvilinearshape for a shoe, as is apparent without further description. But as itis desired to lessen the width of the shoe gradually at or near itspoints, the periphery of the mold-block b is therefore so formed at theplaces where the points of the shoebar are pressed against it that thedis tance between its periphery and the pressureroller ishall besniiiciently decreased so that the roller fi shall not only operate tobend the bar, but also to press the salnein such amanner as toaccomplishthe desired result.

j, Figs. 9 and 3, is a slotiiu the platform a for the insertion of themetallic bar within the same, and in its proper position against thepoint 7c of the mold-block, where it is securely held and prevented fromwa-bhliug or moving during the bending operation by simply holding theplate or bar l, hinged to a sliding plate, m, of theplatform, down uponthe slime, through the treadlev or lever fn, and connectin g cord or rodo. I

p p are two bars or arms attached by a pivot to the end q of each ot thearms d d, the opposite ends r of the same being secured together upon acommon center or bolt, and then both attached to the upper surface 'of ahorizontal sliding plate, s, moving in a groove, t, of the platform a.The t'ormers e, e` being thus arranged and secured to each other, and tothe'sliding plate s, as described, a reciproeating rectilinear motion isimparted to the same in order to bend the metallic bar prop,-

erly inserted an'd held on the platforma, and to the object andadvantage of which method ofl securing the cam-.rod u to theplate s islo prevent the liability of too much strain upon the f ysaid plate swhen moved, which would neces'- sarily tend to lthrow it ont ot' placeas it is moving forward to operate the benders toward the mold-block,and to form thereby the shoe; but, however, it is evident that in lieuthereof it (the vertical lever) could be attached directly to the saidsliding plate s. Upon .the edge a of this cam-lever u bears or travels afriction-wheel, b', attached to a heavy dropweight., c', in one side ofwhich the said wheel is inserted having proper bearings. This weight cmoves between and is guided by two vertical bars or standards, d d',situated, respectively, on opposite sides ot' the platform a, and alsohas secured to its under surface, or

forming a part thereof, a projecting plate, e',

of the same shape, but ot' little larger dimensions, than the mold-blockb, the said plate e' having upon its lower surfacearaised bead, f and avertical lip or projection, g, at one end thereof, for purposes to bedescribed.

In 'order to raise the weight or drop c', and thus place it in readinessto accomplish the purpose for which it is specially intended-i. e., theoperation of the machinery for bending,

8vo., the shoe-I have attached to the rod h',

secured in the top'portion thereof, a rope, di', or other suitabledevice,that is passed upward over a druimj, having bearings in the upperframe work, a', ofthe machine, and upon which the rope is wound.v 0n oneend of this drum 7" is a gear-Wheel, k', engaging with a toothed pinion,I, of the driving-shaft m' ofthe machine, to which shaft motion maybeimparted by any of the well-known modes. When the weight c has beenraised to thedesired height, the gear-wheel 7c and toothed pinion l',above described for theraising of the same, are-disconnected, as will bepresently set forth, and the drum j', being thus free to turn, allowsthe weight c to drop or fall, guided by the standards d d/las it falls,and by means of its bearing upon the edge of the cam lever u, throughthe friction-wheel b', turns the lever u upon its t'ulcrum, and therebyimparts a forward movementy to the formers or benders e e towardthestationary moldblock b. This forward movement of the benders, caused bythe descent ofthe weight, continues until the wheel b has reached thepoint mf 'of the cams surface, when it ceases,

'because of the peculiar formation of the camlever, and the formers e eare held stationary as the weight c falls with its full force and all4its accumulated power upon the upper surface of the metallic barpreviously bent around the mold-block bythe benders ce. 'lhe drop c',after having fallen, and consequently formed the metallic bar intolashoe, is again raised'by means of the drum j', the gear of which hasanda new. bar.jnserted thereins Attached to the lever-cam u is a spiralpr keep up against the friction-wheel of the weight. Inserted within theplatform a of the machine. unon each side of the mold-block b andmanner.

inthei proper positiomare vertical puncheso" or', Fig. Gthe lower endsot' which respect- ...ively rest `upon beveled pieces or levers p' p',

Vtoward the mold-block b the one ,q,by sliding under the other,p, shallso raise the. latter, and

' t consequently the punches o' o', as to cause the latter to impingeagainst the metallicbarbent around the mold-blotk-and, being securelyheld there,`\are'forced by the pressure .and force of the drop uponthe-shoe to sumciently penetrate the same, and thereby form the grooveor slot usually made therein, the punches -o' o being retracted by thespiral springr, attached to the same, as the formers or benders e e moveback to their original position, as has been described. The weight calso in dropping, by means of its projecting lip g', bends or turns downthe points of the shoe-a sufficient distance. to form the desired calks,and, furthermore, bevels its surface correspondingly witht-he projectionf of the weight, the object ot' which is to cause the shoe where placedupon the horses hoofto bear only upon its outside edge.

From the abovedescription.itvwillheseen. that by the falling of theweight or drop c', arranged, constructed, and operating substantallyas'described, a shoe is instantaneously formed, and that also by the useof a weight for operating the mechanism employed for the formation ofhorseshoes a great amount of power, force, or pressure is easilyobtained, and a quick formation ot' horseshoes in every particularpractically and successfully obtained, I

In order to allow of the devices employed for the raising of the weightto be disconnected at the proper moment, whereby the weight will be leftfree to fall, the drivingshaft m is made in two distinct portions, s t',attached together by a universal joint, u', the end e' ot' the portion tthereof,and to which the pinion L', above referred to, is secured,having its bearing within a vertical swinging frame, w', hinged at m', aspring-catch, y', serving to hold the said frame w in proper position toengage the pinion Z' with gear lc'.--`

Placed within a groove, z', of one ofthe standards d is a verticalsliding bar, A, the upper end of which is secured to the sprin g-catchy', while the other end is caught by the' weight as itrises,

'thus disconnecting the catch y from the swinging frame wi, whereby,from the action of the spiral spring' B nprn the frame w', the pinionand gear are instantly disconnected, the universal joint, as is evidentwithout further description, permitting the same. The pinion l and geark', after being thus disconnected, and

the weight c having fallen, are then recon-V nected in order that theymay again operate tomaise the said'weight by means ot the followingdevices,jviz: (l is a vertical rod, moving in agroove ofthe standard d,and placed behind the vertical sliding bar lrereinbeforc referred to; D,a triangular lever or arm turning at its angle upon a center or fulcrum,E, and-attached at the end of each of its arms, F and. G, respectively,to the swinging frame w,and the upper end of the vertical rod (l.

. This vertical rod() extends down the standard d of the platform a toav point nearly to the upper plane thereof, and is so arranged upon thesaid standard, and susceptible of vertical play or motion, that theweight, when falling, shall pull or draw upon the same, and thereby,through the 'right-angular lever D 'attached thereto and to the swingingframe as above described,'turn the said frame sufficiently to re-engagethe pinion l with the gear it', where .they are again held by thespringcatch y'.,previously referred to. Thus it willbe seen from theabove. description that the weight or drop c not only operates themechanism employed for bending and forming the shoe, but also rendersthe machine in reality a self-acting one, the ad' vantages of which arereadily apparent and need thereforeno further particular allusionthereto. employed for disconnecting and `connecting the mechanism forraising the weight can be made susceptible of easy adjustment'atpleasure, thus readily allowing of a greater or lesser amount ofvertical travel to the weight, and

whereby any desired amount of pressure may be secured upon the metallicbar` of whichthe horseshoe is for ed. Y r

Having thus described my'improvements, I shall state my claims asfollows:

1. Operating the various mechanical devices employed in machines formaking horse shoes by means ofthe vertical or up-and-down movement of aheavy drop-hammer. d

2.v Bending the points of the shoe to form the calks` by means ot' thelip projection Yg upon the under surface of the drop-weight, arrangedand operating substantially as set forth.m d

'3. The arrangement of the vertical camlever lLasliding plate s, andarmsp p, attached to the arms d d ot' the formers e e, in combination withthe drop-Weight, the whole operating together inthe manner described,:and for'the purposes set forth.

4. Thev use of the beveled piece q', at-

tached tothe sliding formers or benders e e,

and beveled piece p', upon which the punches o o rest, the two being soarranged with' regard to each other as to raise or lower thesaidpunches, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described. l

5. Disconnecting the devices employed for 'raising the drop-weight bymeans of the vertical rod A, spring lever-catch i and vertical swinginglever zo', that forms the bearing for one end of the driving-shaft,arranged and aperating as set forth.

It is also evident that the devices G1 The ineens described forreconnecting t'ie (leviers employed for the raising of the weight afterthe same has fallen, the same eonsistin.; of' the vertical' rod 0 andangular swinging arrn or lever D, turning upon ai ful- Crum7 arrangedand operating substantially as hereinabove described.

7. The combination of the two-part driving# shaft m', attached togetheras described, with the swinging lever u, and spring-catch 1 op`

